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Top 6 DataTables Alternatives in 2025: Pros, Cons and Pricing

Top 6 DataTables Alternatives in 2025: Pros, Cons and Pricing

Frontend Development

June 25, 20256 min read

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Author: Alex Vasylenko | Founder of The Frontend Company

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DataTables has powered interactive tables on the web for over a decade. It's fast to set up, packed with features, and still widely used in legacy stacks or quick admin tools.

But for many teams, it's starting to show its age.

Modern frontend stacks have moved to React, Vue, Svelte, TypeScript, and modular architectures. And while DataTables still technically works, it no longer fits cleanly into this ecosystem. jQuery dependencies, DOM-based APIs, and performance bottlenecks at scale make it harder to succeed in serious modern apps.

That's why TFC has been helping teams move to more modern grid libraries. The new generation of tools doesn't just match DataTables — they outperform it. Some are open-source, some are commercial, but all are built for the frontend we live in now.

Modern DataTables Alternatives

Let's explore the best DataTables alternatives:

Tool

Framework Support

Pricing

Best For

AG Grid

React, Vue, Angular

MIT (Community), $999/dev (Enterprise), $1498 w/ Charts

Enterprise apps, big data

TanStack Table

React, Solid, Vue, Svelte

MIT (Free)

Custom UIs, dev control

MUI X Data Grid

React (MUI only)

MIT (Community), $15–$49/dev/month (Pro/Premium)

React + MUI stacks

Tabulator

Plain JS, React, Vue, Angular

MIT (Free)

Open-source, mixed stacks

Grid.js

React, Vue, Vanilla JS

MIT (Free)

Lightweight apps, simplicity

Handsontable

React, Vue, Angular

Commercial only — from $790/dev/year

Excel-like editing in-browser

AG Grid — The Enterprise Workhorse

AG Grid is a battle-tested, feature-rich data grid trusted by Fortune 500s. It handles massive datasets without breaking a sweat and provides enterprise-level depth across all major frameworks, including React, Vue, and Angular. If DataTables feels like a Swiss Army knife, AG Grid is a professional-grade toolbox.

Top DataTables Alternatives - AG Grid

What it does better than DataTables:

  • Handles 100,000+ rows with virtual scrolling and zero lag

  • Native framework components (React, Angular, Vue) – no jQuery required

  • Rich editing, filtering, column grouping, range selection, Excel-style UX

  • Built-in export to CSV/XLSX, charts, and pivot tables (Enterprise only)

  • Highly customizable via modules and clean APIs

  • Consistent performance across browsers and devices

When to use:

1. Data-heavy internal dashboards

Need to visualize and interact with large tables, reports, or KPIs in real-time.

2. Enterprise apps with power users

Users expect spreadsheet-like features: filtering, editing, copy/paste, and grouped rows.

3. Teams building long-lived systems

You want stability, support, and a library that won't disappear in two years.

Pricing:

  • Community Edition: Free (MIT license) — solid for most standard use cases

  • Enterprise Edition: $999/developer. Includes pivoting, Excel export, charts, and other advanced features

  • Enterprise Bundle: $1498/developer. Includes AG Grid Enterprise & AG Charts Enterprise

Main disadvantages:

Heavy bundle size, steep learning curve, and key features locked behind a pricey enterprise license — great power, but not lightweight or cheap.

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TanStack Table — The Headless Powerhouse

TanStack Table (formerly React Table) is a lightweight, headless data grid built for modern frameworks. It gives you full control over markup, styling, and behavior — no jQuery, no assumptions, just pure table logic. Think of it as the engine behind a table, not the car itself.

Top DataTables Alternatives - TanStack Table

What it does better than DataTables:

  • Built with modern frameworks in mind – works natively with React, Solid, Vue, Svelte

  • Headless architecture – complete control over rendering and styling

  • Minimal bundle size, no DOM bloat, and zero external dependencies

  • Fully open-source, no paywalls or locked features

  • Easy to extend with custom cells, virtual scrolling, and controlled components

When to use:

1. Custom UIs in React or Solid

You need precise control over how your table looks, behaves, and integrates into your app.

2. Performance-focused apps

You want to keep the bundle size low and avoid the overhead of UI-heavy grids.

3. Component-driven teams

Your devs are comfortable building UIs from composable hooks and logic-first patterns.

Pricing:

  • 100% open-source (MIT license)

  • No paid tiers or enterprise version — all features available for free

Main disadvantages:

It's not plug-and-play — it's headless, so developers build the UI from scratch.

MUI X Data Grid — The Material-First Specialist

MUI X Data Grid is the official data grid from the MUI team, designed for React apps using the Material Design system. It offers a clean UI out of the box, tight integration with MUI components, and a clear upgrade path from basic tables to full enterprise-grade features.

Top DataTables Alternatives - React Data Grid

What it does better than DataTables:

  • Native React component with first-class TypeScript support

  • Seamless Material UI integration — inherits theming, styles, and accessibility

  • Supports virtualization, responsive layouts, and in-cell editing

  • Polished design system compliance without custom hacks

  • Full feature parity with modern grids: sorting, filtering, exporting, etc.

When to use:

  1. Apps already using MUI

  2. You want design and development consistency across your component stack.

  3. Dashboards with moderate-to-large datasets

  4. You need a performant, styled table that just works in React.

  5. Teams that want easy theming and support

  6. You prefer a grid that plays nicely with your UI framework and doesn't need a rewrite.

Pricing:

  • Community Edition: Free (MIT license) — basic features like sorting, filtering, pagination

  • Pro: $15/developer/month — column pinning, advanced filtering, CSV export

  • Premium: $49/developer/month — Excel export, aggregation, tree data, full feature access

Main disadvantages:

React-only, with advanced features locked behind pricing.

Tabulator — The Feature-Packed Underdog

Tabulator is a full-featured, zero-jQuery grid library that works out of the box with plain JavaScript and plays surprisingly well with modern frameworks. It brings rich functionality, strong performance, and deep configurability, all under a permissive open-source license.

Top DataTables Alternatives - Tabulator

What it does better than DataTables:

  • No jQuery required — pure JavaScript with optional framework wrappers

  • Supports virtual DOM rendering for smooth performance on large datasets

  • Rich built-in features: editing, clipboard, responsive layout, frozen columns

  • Easy CSV, JSON, and XLSX export — no plugins needed

  • Framework-agnostic — works with React, Vue, and Angular via wrappers or native binding

When to use:

1. Mixed or migrating tech stacks

You need a modern table that works with or without a frontend framework.

2. Open-source or cost-sensitive projects

You want full power without licensing costs or usage restrictions.

3. Complex grids with deep customization.

You need editable rows, custom renderers, and responsive behavior with minimal friction.

Pricing:

  • Free and open-source (MIT license)

  • No paid tiers — all features are free to use

Main disadvantages:

Larger bundle size and less framework-native than dedicated React/Vue grids.

Grid.js — The Lightweight Generalist

Grid.js is a minimalist, framework-agnostic table library designed for simplicity and modern use. It's small, easy to set up, and integrates cleanly with React, Vue, and plain JavaScript — ideal for teams that want useful defaults without the baggage.

Top DataTables Alternatives - Grid.JS

What it does better than DataTables:

  • No jQuery, no dependencies — written in modern JavaScript and TypeScript

  • Lightweight with a tiny bundle size (~12 KB gzipped)

  • Works with React, Vue, and vanilla JS — flexible integration options

  • Clean, declarative API with support for sorting, search, pagination, and plugins

  • Supports virtual DOM rendering (via Preact) for solid performance

When to use:

1. Lightweight apps or components

You want a modern grid that's easy to drop in without overcomplicating your stack.

2. Multi-framework environments.

You're working across React, Vue, or plain JS and need a consistent table solution.

3. Teams focused on speed and simplicity.

You value fast setup, small bundles, and enough features to cover 80% of use cases.

Pricing:

  • Free and open-source (MIT license)

  • No commercial license — all features available by default

Main disadvantages:

It is not as feature-rich as heavier grids — better for simple to medium-complexity use cases.

Handsontable — The Spreadsheet Specialist

Handsontable isn't just a data grid — it's an in-browser spreadsheet engine built for rich, Excel-like interactions. If your users need to edit, copy, paste, and manipulate tabular data with precision, this is one of the most powerful options available.

Top DataTables Alternatives - Handostable

What it does better than DataTables:

  • Built-in spreadsheet-style editing, copy/paste, keyboard nav, and formulas

  • Highly interactive UX that mimics Excel, including cell validation and undo/redo

  • Can handle hundreds of thousands of cells efficiently

  • Native wrappers for React, Vue, and Angular

  • Supports data validation, dropdowns, and complex cell editors

When to use:

1. Data-heavy apps that require manual data entry or editing

Think financial tools, configuration UIs, or admin panels with complex input needs.

2. Replacing Excel in-browser

Users need familiar spreadsheet behaviors, not just data viewing.

3. Business tools with bulk editing or modeling workflows

You want to eliminate back-and-forth between exports and spreadsheets.

Pricing:

  • Free for non-commercial and evaluation use

  • Commercial license starts at $790/developer/year (Developer plan)

  • Higher tiers are available with priority support and enterprise features

Main disadvantages:

Commercial-only for business use and heavier than traditional grids due to its rich editing layer.

Not Sure Which Grid Fits Your Stack?

Book a FREE 1-hour call with TFC. We’ll help you pick the one that won’t cost you a rewrite in 18 months.

Key Pain Points of DataTables

Let's summarize the pain points that often push teams to use DataTables alternatives:

1. Poor Performance with Large Data

Once your table reaches a few thousand rows, performance starts to slow down. Without server-side setup, search and rendering can lag. There's no virtual scrolling, so big datasets push the browser to its limits.

2. jQuery Dependency

DataTables relies on jQuery, which most modern apps have already dropped.

3. Clunky Developer Experience

It's not built for React, Vue, or any modern component system, making advanced features feel harder than they should be.

4. Outdated Styling Approach

While it supports Bootstrap themes, styling DataTables isn't smooth. Modern tools support design systems, CSS-in-JS, and scoped styles — DataTables doesn't.

5. Paywalled Features

The basics are free, but features like in-table editing require a commercial license. If you're paying anyway, it's worth considering a modern grid that offers better integration, performance, and support under one clean license.

Conclusion

I've worked with DataTables for years, and I understand why it remains popular. It's familiar, fast to drop in, and gets the job done for basic use cases. But if you're building a modern product, you already know that familiarity isn't a strategy.

Today's frontend needs better performance, cleaner integration, and flexibility that jQuery plugins simply can't offer. That's why so many teams are moving to the modern grid. They want to future-proof their stack and free up dev hours for things that matter.

Choosing the right table tool isn't just about features. It's about balance. Between cost and capability. Between speed and scale. Between comfort and long-term maintainability. Pick wrong, and you'll pay for it later. Pick the right one, and you save time and money.

If you're unsure which direction to take — or want a second opinion before you commit — get in touch. I'll help you evaluate your options, weigh cost vs. value, and make the table investment that pays off.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Alex Vasylenko

CEO at The Frontend Company, Founder of Digital Business Card

Alex Vasylenko is the founder of The Frontend Company, DBC and several other successful startups. A dynamic tech entrepreneur, he began his career as a frontend developer at Deloitte and Scandinavia's largest banking company. In 2023, Alex was honored as one of 'Top 10 Emerging Entrepreneurs' by USA Today.

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